At The Breakfast Date...

So what else do you do apart from schooling, I asked as we sat facing each other, “I do business” he responded. “What kind of business?” I asked, really interested in knowing, “Any kind, just bring up an idea and I’ll do it” he said and I wondered how someone can sound so clueless without even knowing it. Maybe because I’m not really into the jack of all trade idea, I’d rather focus on a thing or two at once but that’s not why I’m here. As if sensing my thoughts, he went further to explain “I help my uncle sell cars, then I also help student with runs, those who want to school in UNILAG”. “Oh” I said “So if my brother wants to school there, how much will you charge for runs?” I asked, completing my remark. “Between 350 and 380k” he said. “Wow, that’s someone’s school fees” I said, because it really is someone’s tuition.

I remembered how I was trying to get into UNILAG seven years ago, someone told a friend who was also trying to get in to pay him about 40k to pass the post JAMB exams. After passing post JAMB, what next? Your name comes out until somebody calls somebody they know to make sure their ward’s/girlfriend or whoever’s name is on the admission list so your village people make sure it’s your name that gets taken down, if it was ever put up that is. What happens to the 40k and the wasted year? Nothing. Just take heart…if you like.

But it doesn’t just start at the JAMB level, it starts from the secondary school, when you have to write WAEC but your parent takes you to a ‘special center’ to write it, not because they doubt your intellectual capacities but because they don’t fully trust the educational system. Surprisingly, even that special center can’t save you when your exam sheet gets to the table of the marker who just had a bad day and decides to mark everyone wrong. So let’s assume you pass WAEC, enroll for JAMB lessons, and pay for JAMB ‘expo’ because you can’t afford to write it twice. Your ‘expo’ won’t still help you if your phone gets seized before you write out the answers or if you answer your questions with type A answers instead of type B. On Your Own…

So let’s assume you pass, 250 was your score, you start the post JAMB ish, get into school and suddenly it occurs to you that the hard part is over when it had in fact just begun. It’s time to play because there’s money to pay lecturers (the ones willing to take payment) all through your courses because money answereth all things, didn’t the Bible say that? You pay all your way through school and you suddenly become a role model to younger kids (if you finished that is) but they don’t know how you did it, you just did.

 

What happens to Kunle whose family could hardly afford WAEC registration but he read and passed. They couldn’t afford to pay for JAMB lessons or any runs but he gets the passes anyway, passes post JAMB but his name gets yanked off the list because he doesn’t have what it takes (obviously!). So he has to wait as many years as possible even with prayer and fasting until he finally gets in and graduates but who gets the job first? I’m sure you already know the answer.

What bothers me isn’t the fact that someone has more money to make their dreams materialize without actually doing the dirty job, if I had the money, I’d do same to reduce struggle, I mean? Why struggle when money can make it easier? What bothers me are the people who don’t have it and still won’t be considered based on merit when they obviously deserve it. Some people even see their names on the admission list and two days later, it gets replaced with another name, just because someone has more money.

I remember seeing course mates who never attended a single class getting higher grades than those who were diligent in their studies. No wonder they said ‘if you don’t know iwe (book), better to know the way’. It’s just how it is and it looks like it’s here to stay, connections have become the basis for success. It’s another year, which means another opportunity to build your connections so enlarge your circle and mingle with those that matter too rather than only those on the same hustle level as you. One of them might just be the key to that big breakthrough just by knowing you and your life might just become what you want it to be because of one phone call. I’m just saying though, if you don’t know anyone, know God. God knows everyone and he can make everything work out for you just because you know him. Even if you know anyone, still know God, he’ll tighten your connections.

On this note, I rest my case.

*drops mic*

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